Maunsell Forts Swim for Aspire

Jessica Laurent is raising money for Aspire

Maunsell Forts Swim · 13 August 2025

Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life. Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help, supporting spinal cord injured people from injury to independence.

Story

This is the biggest swim to date, 7.1 nautical miles, 6 hours or so in the water, THIRD person in the world to swim it and I will be the SECOND woman in the world to do this challenge.

The Maunsell Forts are the abandoned alien structures of Red Sands Fort that haunt the Thames Estuary. Built as part of Britain’s air defences in World War Two, the strange rusting structures have a mystical allure.

Understanding the tide pattern was critical to avoid navigation hazards, including a wind farm. A route between the shallows off the Isle of Sheppey coast and the wind farm will need to be thought about. The swim would take approximately 5-7 hours over an 8-mile swim (7.1 nautical miles)

Aspire is a charity close to my heart, they have been fantastic to me since the Channel Swim. This swim is for all the wonderful people who I've met through the years who are in desperate need of the facilities and the care provided by Aspire.

Please donate as much as possible for such a wonderful charity!

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Donation summary

Total
£1,551.00
+ £225.25 Gift Aid
Online
£1,111.00
Offline
£440.00

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